Novak Djokovic is back from a brief break from tennis and will now be eyeing a lengthy run at the Italian Open in Rome.
Djokovic has drawn high praise from Tracy Austin ahead of his return, with the Italian Open representing his first clay-court tournament of 2026.
The 38-year-old has only played two events this season, finishing as runner-up at the Australian Open before a round of 16 exit at Indian Wells.
Djokovic was beaten by Carlos Alcaraz in Melbourne and Jack Draper in California, but now has the chance to get back to winning ways on clay following his hard-court exploits.
And his followers really should be excited at what potential awaits him in Rome following his practice match with Tomas Etcheverry.
Is men’s tennis boring without Carlos Alcaraz?
Novak Djokovic fans should be really excited about his first clay match
First and foremost, Djokovic looked really sharp against his ATP counterpart as they played out a training match in the Italian capital.
But particularly exciting was his tendency to produce drop shots, several of which he carried out to great success.
His Argentine opponent was constantly left helpless as Djokovic timed his efforts perfectly, with Etcheverry often left with no choice but to applaud the skill.
It is a tactic that the Serbian legend looks set to rely on during the actual tournament, where he does indeed have a fantastic chance of going far.
Not only is Alcaraz out of Rome with a wrist injury, but Djokovic has completely avoided world number one Jannik Sinner in the draw until the final.
There is yet another reason to be excited for the legendary Serbian, although it is nothing new for superstar Djokovic.
As is the case for every tournament he plays in, the fans have turned out in huge numbers to see him in action, with their support during his practice match certain to translate to his opening test in Rome.
Jannik Sinner claimed to be better than Novak Djokovic on clay
Djokovic is, of course, using the Italian Open as preparation for the French Open, at which he is targeting a record 25th Grand Slam title.
But he has just been issued a warning over how big a threat that Sinner will be at the clay-court tournament.
Can any of these four players stop Jannik Sinner winning the French Open this year?
Is there anyone else you think could be a threat to Sinner?
Patrick Mouratoglou, who is a former coach of 23-time major winner Serena Williams, said on his Instagram: “I think the chances that Jannik Sinner wins Roland Garros cannot be higher.
“It’s for me as much as the chances for Rafa [Nadal] to win Roland Garros throughout his career. I think he has the same margin.
“Not for the same reason, because the reason why Rafa was unbeatable on clay was also his game style.
“Jannik has so much margin on any surface, except with Carlos, but Carlos is out. It’s not his game style, it’s his dominance that is unmatched.
“Now if you look at the two years when Novak had the same kind of dominance, 2011 and 2015, in both cases, Novak didn’t win Roland Garros.
“But there’s a big difference. I think that Jannik’s game for clay is better than Novak’s game for clay.
“Jannik plays with way more margin over the net, I think the quality of his ball is different, which is so important on clay that brings even a little plus to him.”
Well behind the record 14 Roland Garros titles of Nadal, Djokovic has won the Paris Grand Slam on three occasions.
Meanwhile, Sinner is a four-time major champion, and needs only the French Open to complete the career Grand Slam.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
